The Date Tree
by NinjaKittie
Summary: Follow the story of how a friendship turns into a kiss and turns into a relationship then ending with a family.


The way he walked into the court room made me laugh. He was so nervous, he stumbled over every thing. You could tell he wasn't drunk just nervous. He stood there right in front of the little girl and cried. He stated that he was drunk and didn't know that it was her, that he thought it was her mom. I looked over at the father who looked like he was either gonna murder him or cry. His little girls name was Sophia and she lived with her mom and step dad. Daryl was his name and he looked rough, but he was the best farmer of front county. I only knew of him. No one has seen him since his wife left him for my ex husband Ed. Ed was a bad man who looked at his daughters the way he looked at the little girl Sophia. It makes me sick. I sat across from Daryl with my two little girls Lizzie and Meika. He glances over every now and then, until Lizzie got called to the stand is the only time our eyes locked. His blue eyes reminded me of Meika's brighter then the sky at noon. He broke off first but I could still feel him wanting to stare.

"Lizzie, do you realize what your father is on trial for?" The attorney asked.

"Yes, he attacked that girl like he attacked my mom, which is how my mom got Meika. He raped her." Lizzie stated with tears in her eyes. I felt them start to run down my face like it was a race. She was only 12 she shouldn't know what rape was. She shouldn't know or even remember that awful night.

"Did your father ever try to attack you?" He asked. Lizzie just sat there she looked terrified.

"He did." Lizzie replied.

"He did try to-"

"NO! HE DID! He did attack me. When I was Meika's age. He would creep into my room when my mom was in the hospital." Lizzie cried then ran to me and hugged me. She was shaking. Ed stood up and was trying to run to us when I felt an arm around me and noticed that Daryl had Meika and Lizzie and a guard was dragging me out of the room.

How could he? How could she keep such a big secret? I was crying and couldn't breathe. I was sitting on the floor watching the room spin. I saw Lizzie as a small child only 6 years old rubbing her eyes and wanting to go to sleep and Ed taking her home after giving me a kiss and promising me that things are gonna be different this time. Then a snap back to reality when a mans arms are around me again. And they are dragging me into a car and I feel about 4 others get into it and then I blacked out.

When I woke up there was an ice pack on my head and the little girl was changing my blankets and tucking me into new ones that smelled like fresh cotton.

"You know I like talking to you. My daddy says that when you wake up your gonna freak out. I hope you don't. I really like Lizzie and Meika loves my daddy. So ma-"

"Your the girl from the court room, right? Sophia?" I interrupted her. She just stared at me then ran out.

I stood up and tried to walk, I was about to fall when the man entered my doorway and sprinted to me catching me right before I hit the floor.

"Hey. Uhmm the police officer said to take you home and he'll come to get a statement later. Your sister Lori is here. Lizzie locked herself in her room and the only one she's let in is Sophia." He stated.

"Thank you. But, it's a little weird for you to be here so long. I would like you to leave now please." I said.

"Yeah of course." he said. "I put my number on the fridge just in case you need anything" He added when he was walking out of the door he turned and smiled then added. "Thank you for the hospitality." Then drove away.

"Carol he's amazing. Meika hasn't laughed like that since mom fell down the steps and landed in your pumpkin pie." Carl said walking into the kitchen.

I smiled and said "Really? He never came out of his house after his wife left. I can't believe he stayed her to take care of us." I thought for a minute and laughed. Carl left the room as Shane came into the house he walked into the kitchen and stare at me.

"Saw the Dixon guy leavin' hasn't been what a year and you've already forgotten about my brother?" He asked with the usual Shane look on his face.

"Your brother and I shared a bed and a house. That's all. He loved me and I him but, when he died." I took a deep breath and a tear rolled down my face. "When he didn't wake up I had no choice it had been a year since the accident and we haven't even found who killed him yet. You were wrong about Merle Dixon just back off of them. They're not their father. And no Daryl was just taken care of us and protectin' us while you keep your head up your ass or up Lori's." I slammed a dish down and headed up to Lizzie's room.

I had been married to Rick for about 2 years when he got shot out on the job. He had raised Meika and was about to adopt both Lizzie and Meika when he was shot and got put in a coma he was almost dead he was just layin there I didn't feel bad about it unless Shane was around. He always made me feel small and weak when he talks about Rick. I loved Rick but, now he's gone and I haven't even moved on at all. Daryl, he's just a friend, he helped Lizzie and Meika so in my eyes he was a good person. But, I couldn't help but ask my self why was I defending a man that I've only met twice.

I stopped when I saw Meika in her room starring at her wall. I walked in to see a picture of a tree with 3 kids running around and swinging. My house was in the back ground and I was standing on the porch smiling.

"Meika who painted that?" I asked staring at the amazing art work.

"Daryl did. He said that after the trials are over he's gonna come and build a swing and every time we swing we'll forget a bad memory." Lizzie smiled. "He said that he'll bring over Sophia so much she'll forget all about Ed and her mama. That here it will be only happy memories, and that every good day we have we'll write the date on the picture or around it. He called it our happy tree."

I thought for a minute. He was a good man. I smiled at the idea of having Daryl here a lot. Then my smiled went a fast as it came. I'm scared that the bad will out weigh the good on the tree right now.


End file.
